Ultrasonic surgical instrument with pre-assembled acoustic assembly

Abstract

An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a body, an ultrasonic supported by the body, a shaft extending distally from the body and defining a shaft axis, a waveguide extending distally through the shaft, and an end effector arranged at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade coupled to a distal end of the waveguide and having a primary blade treatment surface configured to treat tissue, and a clamp arm coupled to the distal end of the shaft. The shaft and the waveguide are selectively rotatable relative to one another about the shaft axis through a predefined range of angular motion between an assembly state and an operational state. In the assembly state, the clamp arm and the primary blade treatment surface are rotationally offset from one another. In the operational state, the clamp arm and the primary blade treatment surface are rotationally aligned.

We claim: 
     
       1. An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising:
 (a) a body; 
 (b) an ultrasonic transducer configured to be supported by the body; 
 (c) a shaft assembly extending distally from the body and defining a shaft axis, wherein the shaft assembly includes an outer shaft tube and an inner shaft tube; 
 (d) a waveguide configured to extend distally through the inner shaft tube; and 
 (e) an end effector arranged at a distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector comprises:
 (i) an ultrasonic blade coupled to a distal end of the waveguide and having a primary blade treatment surface configured to treat tissue, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is configured to drive the waveguide and the ultrasonic blade with ultrasonic energy, and 
 (ii) a clamp arm assembly coupled to the distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the clamp arm assembly includes:
 (A) a clamp arm configured to clamp tissue against the primary blade treatment surface, and 
 (B) a connector tube disposed within a distal end of the outer shaft tube, wherein the inner shaft tube extends through the connector tube, 
 
 
 wherein the outer shaft tube and the waveguide are selectively rotatable relative to one another about the shaft axis through a predefined range of angular motion between an assembly state and an operational state, wherein in the assembly state the clamp arm and the primary blade treatment surface are rotationally offset from one another, wherein in the operational state the clamp arm and the primary blade treatment surface are rotationally aligned with one another. 
 
     
     
       2. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the clamp arm is configured to confront the primary blade treatment surface when the surgical instrument is in the operational state. 
     
     
       3. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined range of angular motion comprises at least 90 degrees of angular motion. 
     
     
       4. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the clamp arm is coupled to the outer shaft tube, wherein the connector tube is slidably disposed within the outer shaft tube and is coupled to the inner shaft tube, wherein the outer shaft tube and the inner shaft tube are rotatable relative to one another through the predefined range of angular motion. 
     
     
       5. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 4 , wherein the connector tube is configured to rotationally couple the outer shaft tube with the inner shaft tube when the surgical instrument is in the operational state. 
     
     
       6. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (a) a first alignment member coupled to the body, and 
 (b) a second alignment member coupled to waveguide, 
 wherein the first and second alignment members are configured to engage one another to guide relative rotation between the outer shaft tube and the waveguide through the predefined range of angular motion. 
 
     
     
       7. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 6 , wherein the first alignment member includes one of a protrusion or a slot, wherein the second alignment member includes the other of a protrusion or a slot, wherein the protrusion is slidable within the slot. 
     
     
       8. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 7 , wherein the first alignment member comprises an alignment tube coupled to the body, wherein the waveguide is configured to extend distally through the alignment tube. 
     
     
       9. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the slot extends angularly relative to the shaft axis and is configured to direct rotation of the waveguide relative to the outer shaft tube in response to distal movement of the protrusion through the slot. 
     
     
       10. The ultrasonic transducer of  claim 9 , wherein the slot includes a first angular portion configured to direct rotation of the waveguide relative to the outer shaft tube in a first angular direction, and a second angular portion configured to direct rotation of the waveguide relative to the outer shaft tube in a second angular direction, wherein the second angular portion is arranged distally of the first angular portion. 
     
     
       11. The ultrasonic transducer of  claim 9 , wherein the slot includes first and second camming surfaces configured to engage the protrusion to direct rotation of the waveguide relative to the outer shaft tube. 
     
     
       12. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 6 , wherein the first alignment member comprises an alignment tube coupled to the body, wherein the second alignment member comprises an alignment plug coupled to a proximal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the alignment tube is configured to receive the alignment plug, wherein the alignment plug is configured to rotate relative to the alignment tube through the predefined range of angular motion for transitioning the instrument between the assembly state and the operational state. 
     
     
       13. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 12 , wherein the alignment plug is rotatable relative to the alignment tube between a first plug position in which the instrument is in the assembly state and the alignment plug is prevented from translating with the alignment tube relative to the body, and a second plug position in which the instrument is in the operational state and the alignment plug is permitted to translate with the alignment tube relative to the body to thereby actuate the clamp arm. 
     
     
       14. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 13 , wherein the alignment plug includes a lug, wherein the alignment tube includes a circumferentially extending slot configured to receive the lug, wherein the circumferentially extending slot has a first slot end that defines the first plug position and a second slot end that defines the second plug position. 
     
     
       15. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 12 , further comprising an outer guide tube coupled to the body, wherein the alignment tube is disposed within a first end of the outer guide tube, wherein the alignment plug is configured to be received within a second end of the outer guide tube. 
     
     
       16. An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising:
 (a) a body; 
 (b) an ultrasonic transducer configured to be supported by the body; 
 (c) a waveguide extending distally from the ultrasonic transducer and terminating at an ultrasonic blade, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is configured to drive the waveguide and the ultrasonic blade with ultrasonic energy; 
 (d) a first shaft tube extending distally from the body and defining a shaft axis; 
 (e) a first shaft alignment member coupled to the body, wherein the first shaft alignment member includes a tube; and 
 (f) a removable assembly selectively coupleable with the body, wherein the removable assembly comprises:
 (i) a second shaft tube configured to extend longitudinally with the first shaft tube when the removable assembly is coupled with the body, and 
 (ii) a second shaft alignment member coupled to the second shaft tube, 
 
 wherein the first and second shaft alignment members are configured to engage one another and guide relative rotation between the first and second shaft tubes to thereby orient the first and second shaft tubes in rotational alignment with one another when the removable assembly is coupled to the body. 
 
     
     
       17. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 16 , wherein one of the first or second shaft alignment members includes a protrusion, wherein the other of the first or second shaft alignment members includes a slot configured to receive the protrusion, wherein the slot is configured to guide the protrusion along a path that extends circumferentially about the shaft axis. 
     
     
       18. The ultrasonic surgical instrument of  claim 16 , wherein the tube of the first shaft alignment member is configured to rotate relative to the body about the shaft axis. 
     
     
       19. An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising:
 (a) a body; 
 (b) an ultrasonic transducer configured to be supported by the body; 
 (c) a shaft assembly extending distally from the body and defining a shaft axis, the shaft assembly comprising:
 (i) an outer shaft tube, and 
 (ii) an inner shaft tube configured to be received within the outer shaft tube, wherein the outer shaft tube and the inner shaft tube are rotatable relative to one another through a predefined range of angular motion about the shaft axis; 
 
 (d) a waveguide configured to extend distally through the inner shaft tube; and 
 (e) an end effector arranged at a distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector comprises:
 (i) an ultrasonic blade coupled to a distal end of the waveguide and having a primary blade treatment surface configured to treat tissue, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is configured to drive the waveguide and the ultrasonic blade with ultrasonic energy, and 
 (ii) a clamp arm pivotably attached to the distal end of the outer shaft tube, wherein the clamp arm is configured to clamp tissue against the primary blade treatment surface. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The ultrasonic instrument of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 (a) a first alignment member coupled to the body; and 
 (b) a second alignment member coupled to the inner shaft tube, 
 wherein the first and second alignment members are configured to engage one another to guide rotation of the inner shaft tube relative to the outer shaft tube.